Millville preps for City Hall personnel moves

Tuesday was Youth Commission day in Millville. Elementary school students sat as replacements for city commissioners, the city clerk, and the city solicitor. It is one of a number of annual events Millville Elks Lodge 580 sponsors.
Joseph P. Smith

Millville City Clerk Susan G. Robostello at City Hall in 2013.(Photo: File photo)

MILLVILLE – The City Commission is moving to split the duties of city clerk and administrator among two employees in advance of the retirement of the woman who has held both jobs for more than six years.

The City Commission took several related actions at its meeting Tuesday night, including officially accepting the retirement of City Clerk/Administrator Susan G. Robostello effective Dec. 1. It also named her successor, current Deputy Clerk Jeanne M. Hitchner.

City Commissioner Joseph Sooy, at the meeting, said a series of related job decisions should save the city $44,000 per year. The changes would include an unspecified salary increase for a future administrator and eliminate an information technology position.

On Wednesday, Sooy went into more detail about restructuring top management positions at City Hall. Further commission action would be needed to adopt all the proposals.

“The workload is overwhelming for the position,” Sooy said. “You can’t be an effective city clerk and an administrator. That’s been obvious to me from day one.”

And besides saving money, Sooy said establishing a separate administrator’s office would make for a smoother transition if Millville adopts a “mayor and council” governing format. A proposal to study changing the local government charter is before voters on November’s general election ballot.

“If we change our form of government, we’re going to need a separate administrator anyway,” Sooy said. “It’s better to do this in stages where everyone has a chance to learn their job.”

The city’s practice has been to appoint one person as a part-time administrator and a full-time city clerk, with each position having a separate salary.

In addition, the administrator/clerk also acts as the "public agency compliance officer" — for a third salary. The PACO is a liaison to state government, tasked with making sure state law and regulations are followed.

In Vineland, which operates with a mayor and a council, the city clerk and administrators are separate positions. It is not unusual for municipal governments to give managers added duties with separate salaries or stipends.

In Millville for 2016, the base salary for city clerk is $117,694.52. The base salary for administrator, a part-time job, is $11,018.37. The public agency compliance officer has a base salary of $7,558.62.

Sooy said the city intends to keep the position of public agency compliance officer, or PACO, but quit paying whoever holds the title.

On Tuesday night, the commission introduced an ordinance to lower the maximum salary for the city clerk to $107,061.95. It was introduced on a 3-0 vote with a final vote scheduled for Aug. 16. Mayor Michael Santiago was absent due to a vacation.

The commission vote to appoint Hitchner also was 3-0. She has been deputy clerk since April 1. The position pays $75,000 per year.

Sooy said commissioners still need to agree on who should fill the administrator’s position. “It’s an important decision we should all make together,” he said.

Under city ordinance, a city clerk is the “secretary of the municipal corporation, custodian of the municipal Seal and of all minutes, books, deeds, contracts, and archival records.”

A clerk’s main jobs include preparing meeting agendas, keeping minutes, and acting as chief administrative officer for elections and voter registrar. After three years, a clerk has job tenure.

The administrator serves “at the pleasure” of the governing body as the “chief executive officer” of the city. The job can be full time or part time.

A candidate “shall, at the minimum, be experienced in local government affairs and administration as well as having demonstrated managerial talent and experience.” Budget preparation, contract negotiating, and coordinating departmental operations are major job duties.

Robostello was appointed clerk and administrator in June 2010, succeeding Lewis Thompson.